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Overview
Crimson Desert uses a quest system that blends structured story missions with organic discovery. The main story provides narrative milestones that advance the overarching plot, while the majority of content comes from side questsliberation missionsbounty hunts, and activities discovered through the organic quest discovery system (sometimes called the "Rumor System" by the community). Pearl Abyss designed the world so that the main campaign represents only a "small percentage" of overall content. During hands-on previews, 63 side quests were counted in the first town of Hernand alone, indicating the total side content across all 573 territories is substantial.
Developer Seongwoo Lee stated: "All villagers going about their daily lives and every NPC, event, and side quest in the game were created for a purpose." The main quest line is described as roughly an eighth of the total playing time, with total playtime estimated at 50 to 80 hours.
Scale and Structure
In totalCrimson Desert contains approximately 410 missions spread across its main story and side quests and activities. The sheer volume of content ensures that players who focus only on the critical path will see a fraction of what the world offers, while completionists can spend well over 80 hours uncovering every quest chain, bounty, and hidden encounter across all 573 territories.
Quest Types
Type | Description | Rewards |
|---|---|---|
Narrative-driven missions following Kliff that advance the Greymane storyline, unlock new regions, characters, and abilities. | Abyss Artifacts, character unlocks, story progression | |
Optional quests from NPC conversations, notice boards, and exploration. Range from short tasks (cleaning a chimney, playing rock-paper-scissors with children) to multi-part quest chains. | Abyss Artifactsequipmentcurrency, reputation | |
Character Questlines | Dedicated questlines for Damiane and Oongka separate from the main story. Completing them fully recruits each as a playable character for open-world exploration. | Unique gear and abilities not available on the main path |
Liberation Missions | Clear occupied strongholds, camps, and outposts from hostile forces. Liberating an area causes visible changes: residents returnstructures rebuild, new vendors open. | New merchantsskillsactivities, rebuilding materials |
Bounty Hunts | Track down criminals from wanted posters on notice boards. Chase, tackle, and hogtie targets, then deliver them for payment. | Currency, reputation, unique equipment |
Discovered through tavern conversations and environmental clues. Lead to hidden bossessecret areas, and rare items. | Rare itemsunique encounters, hidden boss access | |
Personal quests tied to specific Greymane companions that deepen backstory and strengthen trust bonds. | Trust increases, companion backstory missions flashbacks | |
Missions from the 110 regional factions and noble houses across Pywel. Allied factions may send troops to assist during ambushes. | Faction reputationfaction-specific vendors and services | |
Send Greymane companions on passive missions to gather resources, thin enemy numbers, or weaken hostile strongholds. | Resources, currency, reduced enemy resistance in target areas |
Main Quest Chapters
The main story is divided into 12 chapters, beginning with the Prologue and concluding with Chapter VIII, "Blood Coronation." Each chapter contains quest arcs, and each arc is composed of individual quests that advance the narrative. Kliff is the protagonist throughout the campaign, and story progression unlocks new regions, abilities, and companion characters tied to the Greymane mercenary band.
Chapter | Title | Notes |
|---|---|---|
Prologue | Dead of Night | Introduces Kliffthe Greymanesand the core conflict. is the tutorial for combat and exploration. |
Chapter I | A Dwindling Flame | The Greymanes settle into their new situation and begin rebuilding after the events of the prologue. |
Chapter II | Shifting Tides | Regional political tensions escalate. New faction questlines become available as reputation grows. |
Chapter III | The Weight of Steel | Major combat encounters and story revelations. Camp expansion features unlock during this chapter. |
Chapter IV | Paths Divided | Branching quest arcs introduce meaningful choices that affect faction relationships across Pywel. |
Chapter V | Gathering Storms | Large-scale conflict begins involving multiple noble houses and regional powers. |
Chapter VI | The Long March | Extended campaign sequences spanning multiple regions. New companion quests become available. |
Chapter VII | At the Precipice | Penultimate chapter with major story climaxes and final preparation for the endgame. |
Chapter VIII | The final chapter. Concludes the Greymane storyline with the fixed narrative ending. |
Note: Although there are 12 chapters in total, specific titles for Chapters IX through XI have not been publicly confirmed at this time. The chapters listed above reflect verified data from official sources and documentation. The overall structure moves from the intimate struggles of the Greymane band toward the wider political and military conflicts that define Pywel.
The Rumor System
The Rumor System is the primary discovery mechanism for hidden content. Rumors are ambient quest leads gathered from tavern conversations, NPC dialogue, environmental clues, and notes found during exploration. A rumor might hint at the location of a hidden boss, a secret cave containing rare equipmentor a mysterious NPC who offers a unique quest chain.
Rumors do not appear as traditional quest markers on the map. Instead, they provide descriptive clues (landmarks, terrain features, general direction) that the player must interpret and follow. This system rewards players who pay attention to environmental storytelling and NPC dialogue rather than simply following waypoints.
Quest Discovery
Not all quests are available from the start. Quest availability depends on several factors:
Quest | Details |
|---|---|
Notice Boards | Located in settlements, these display bounty hunting postersfishing and cooking tutorials, and general task opportunities. |
Story Progress | Some side quests only appear after reaching specific points in the main story. |
Liberation Status | Liberating occupied areas unlocks new quest-givers and activities in that region. |
NPC Schedules | NPCs follow daily routines. A quest-giver might only be available during certain hours of the in-game day. |
Exploration | Some quests trigger only when the player physically discovers a specific location, object, or NPC (e.g. finding a man hanging from a cliff who hints at hidden treasure). |
Reputation | Faction quest chains may require reaching a certain reputation threshold before new missions become available. |
Choices and Consequences
The game features branching dialogue choices in cinematic cutscenes. Decisions are described as "significant" and directly impact how certain events unfold. Faction relationships affect world states: changing standing from War to Alliance (or vice versa) alters area accessibility, NPC hostility, and available services.
However, despite 110 factions and branching choices, the main story ending is fixed. Pearl Abyss explicitly confirmed that factions are "significant actors in the plot" that offer additional content but do not determine the conclusion. The factions shape the world around the player without altering the narrative destination.
Hero Contribution System
The Hero Contribution System ties side quests and faction quests into a regional reputation framework. Completing quests in a given region increases the player's reputation with that area. As reputation rank rises, new rewards and opportunities become available from local contacts.
At higher reputation ranks, players can trade accumulated reputation points with a contributions merchant in exchange for high-end gear and armor that cannot be obtained through other means. This creates a strong incentive to engage with optional content beyond the main storysince the best equipment often comes from sustained reputation building in specific regions rather than from the critical path alone.
Reputation is tracked per region, so players who focus their efforts in one area will unlock that region's top-tier merchant inventory faster. However, spreading quests across multiple regions grants access to a wider variety of gear sets, each with distinct stat profiles and visual styles suited to different playstyles.
Challenges
Challenges are a distinct category of optional objectives that are unlocked by finding Sealed Abyss Artifacts scattered throughout the world. Each artifact unlocks one Challenge, making artifact collection a prerequisite for accessing this content. Sealed Abyss Artifacts are part of the broader collectibles system and are typically hidden in dungeons, remote locationsand areas guarded by powerful enemies.
Challenges are organized into five categories:
Description | |
|---|---|
Exploration | Challenges related to discovering locationstraversing terrain, and reaching hidden areas across Pywel's 573 territories. |
Mastery | Tests of proficiency with specific game systems such as craftingcookingalchemyand other life skills. |
Combat | Defeating specific enemiesclearing encounters under time limits, or completing fights with style requirements. |
Life | Challenges tied to non-combat activities including fishingfarming, ranchinggatheringand NPC interactions. |
Minigame | Challenges involving the various mini-games available throughout the world, such as tavern gamesgamblingand competitive events. |
Completing Challenges rewards Abyss Artifacts, rare equipment, and other valuable items. The Challenge log tracks progress across all five categories, giving players a clear picture of how much optional content remains.
Interconnected Objectives
Multiple quest markers may sometimes point to the same underlying problem. For example, several quests about goblin attacks on a village may all trace back to a single goblin camp. Resolving the core issue can complete multiple related quests simultaneously, reducing redundant backtracking.
Notable Quest-Giving Factions
While there are 110 factions across Pywelseveral major organizations offer dedicated quest chains with unique storylines and exclusive rewards:
Faction | Overview |
|---|---|
Kliff's own mercenary band. Their quests form the backbone of the main story and companion recruitment. | |
One of the noble houses of Pywel. Their questline involves political intrigue and courtly diplomacy. | |
A noble house with military traditions. Faction quests focus on battlefield tactics and territorial conflicts. | |
A powerful noble family whose quests involve trade disputes, inheritance conflicts, and regional governance. | |
A trade organization controlling commercial routes. Their quests revolve around securing supply lines and dealing with bandits. | |
Protectors of the Pororin woodlands. Quests involve defending natural areas from exploitation and dealing with forest creatures. | |
A secretive group practicing forbidden arts. Their questline explores arcane mysteries and hidden knowledge. | |
The local defense force of the Pailune region. Quests center on protecting settlements from raids and maintaining order. | |
A tribal group with their own customs and conflicts. Their quests explore cultural tensions and survival in the wilderness. | |
A mysterious order with unclear motives. Their questline gradually reveals hidden agendas and ties to larger world events. |
Each faction maintains its own reputation track within the Hero Contribution System. Building standing with any of these groups unlocks progressively better rewards from their dedicated contributions merchants, including faction-specific armor sets and weapons.
Common Quest Rewards
Quests across all categories can award a combination of the following reward types:
Reward Type | Description |
|---|---|
Gold | The primary currency used for purchasing itemsupgrading equipment, and paying for services at merchants. |
Weaponsarmor pieces, and accessories. Higher-difficulty quests tend to award rarer gear with better stats. | |
Story-critical or system-unlocking items that advance questlines, open new areas, or enable new gameplay mechanics. | |
Powerful collectible items tied to the Abyss system. Used to unlock Challenges and enhance character capabilities. | |
Reputation Points | Earned from faction and regional quests. Spent at contributions merchants for exclusive high-end gear. |
Skill Unlocks | Certain quests teach Kliff new abilities or techniques that cannot be learned through other progression methods. |
Knowledge System Integration
The Knowledge System tracks quest progress alongside broader world discovery. The 430 Adventures entries in the Knowledge codex correspond to completable quests and missions. Completing quests also fills in People, Territory, and Faction knowledge entries. Some skills are only acquired by observing and interacting with specific NPCs scattered across Pywelconnecting quest interactions directly to character progression.